THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all very much for coming today.
It's a privilege to welcome our country's best minds to the White
House. Today it is my honor, high honor to welcome the men and women
receiving the 2001 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and
Engineers.

I want to thank you all for coming. I appreciate so very much the
first steps in the careers of discovery that you've taken. And the
amazing thing is, your colleagues already recognize the great potential
of your work. Dr. Marburger was telling me that it was only five years
ago that a person who had -- who received an award that you're
receiving today became a Nobel Laureate. Maybe I'm looking at another
Nobel Laureate or two here. (Laughter.)

You need to know that the breakthroughs that you have made will
make life better for all Americans. Your explorations will expand our
understanding of the world, and that's important. Your innovations
will help America stay at the forefront of technological development
for decades to come.

Most Americans may not understand all you do and all the details of
your work. But we understand your promise and your commitment and your
dedication. And we're grateful for it, so thanks for coming.

I appreciate Larry Lindsey, my Director of the National Economic
Council; and Jack Marburger, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Poly for spearheading this event. I want to thank a couple
of my Cabinet Secretaries are here: Ann Veneman, of Agriculture and
Spence Abraham of Energy. Thank you both for your service.

I appreciate Rita Colwell, as Director of the National Science
Foundation for being here, for her work. I want to thank Elias
Zerhouni, from the NIH, for being here. Dr. Zerhouni is -- we
plucked him out of the private sector to serve our country and he's
doing a fine job. I just want to remind everybody that the commitment
we made that we would double the budget in the NIH has been completed.
And I appreciate your leadership there, Dr. Zerhouni.

I want to thank Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, of -- the
Administrator of NOAA, National Oceanic and Administrative --
Atmospheric Administration. I want to thank Dr. Arden Bement, the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Arden,
thank you very much, sir. John Hopps, the Deputy Director of the
Defense Research and Engineering at the Department of Defense. I want
to thank James Burris, the Deputy Chief Research and Development
Officer of the Veterans Health Administration. And Shannon Lucid, who
is the Chief Scientist of NASA.

The reason I mention these fine folks is that they all picked you.
So when you see them at the reception -- (laughter) -- be nice to
them. (Laughter.)

I want to welcome the family member or friend that you picked to
come here. I'm sorry the room is so small. I suspect we could have
accommodated a lot more people if we had a bigger room. But Dr.
Marburger told me that at the reception other family members will be
there; please give them my best and sorry I couldn't extol your virtues
in front of them, in their person. But I want to welcome you all, as
well, to the White House. It's quite a place to go to work, as I'm
sure you can imagine. And I hope you recognize it's quite a place to
receive an award, too.

The honorees are -- you're serving America, that's what you're
doing. And you're doing so in the best of -- in the best of the
public interest. And for that, we're grateful.

You're learning how the smallest known particles operate and
interact. You're laying down the foundation for new methods of
diagnosing and treating cancer and heart disease; doing research to
protect Americans against threats posed by chemical weapons. You're
exploring the unchartered territory of the human mind.

Your work advances important national goals. And accomplishing
these goals requires the cooperation amongst scientists and engineers
in our universities, our government agencies and, of course, in the
private sector.

This award is a statement of our confidence, the nation's
confidence and the tremendous good that can come when the America
government supports the genius of the American people.

My administration is continuing a great tradition. Whether finding
cures for diseases or learning how to better predict natural disasters
or developing information technology that unites the world, government
funded basic research expands knowledge and learning and helps our
people to live longer and healthier and more satisfying lives. We are
committed to basic research from the federal government. And we will
keep that commitment so long as we're here.

Innovation is one of our greatest national strengths. It drives
our economy. It helps protect our environment. And the truth of the
matter is, it improves lives all across the globe. In all of your
work, you're contributing to the strength of America and to the well
being of our people.

You probably have become scientists or engineers because you're
motivated by the thrill of discovery -- I suspect that's the case.
Or by the quest to push outward the bounds of human knowledge. And
many of you will make significant discoveries. It probably won't be
household names -- not all that bad, I might add. (Laughter.) But
Americans will know your work because it will touch their lives, and I
hope you understand that that in itself is a great honor and a great
accomplishment.

You'll blaze the trail for others who will build on your successes
and then, of course, discover their own. That's the wonders of science
and engineering.

I appreciate the fact that many of you are already inspiring young
boys and girls to explore their interest in science and engineering.
That in itself is an incredibly important contribution to our country,
to excite youngsters about the promise and hope of science and promise
and hope of engineering.

By involving students in your work and creating opportunities for
young Americans to learn about career opportunities in the sciences,
you're opening minds and opening doors to future researchers. Your
impact will be felt for decades to come, and that's why I've come to
speak to you.

So on behalf of all Americans, I want to thank you for your
commitment to improving lives and exploring new horizons. I
congratulate you for your hard work. I urge you not to stop, to keep
using your God-given talents and your God-given genius to make the
world better for all of us.